Parkway Drive Bassist Apologizes for Problematic Past Rap Lyrics

Parkway Drive continue to face public scrutiny with the band's bassist Jia O'Connor being the latest to come under fire after Australia's ABC News did a deeper dive into the predatory behavior that existed in the early 2000s Byron Bay scene.

The band's now former but longtime merch manager Jed Gordon was recently convicted and sentenced for sexual offenses with an underage girl. At the time of his guilty plea, Parkway Drive's singer Winston McCall issued a lengthy and emotional video apology siding with the victim in the case and calling for those in their scene to do better by the women.

But the conclusion of the case wasn't the end of the story as Australia's ABC News did a deeper investigative report into the scene in which several more women spoke out against Gordon and his predatory behavior as well as sharing other instances they had encountered in their youth from others in the scene.

And, as part of the reporting, there was mention of Parkway Drive bassist Jia O'Connor's early foray into rap music in which the misogynistic lyrics become even more problematic given the climate in which they were birthed.

More About Jia O'Connor's Rap Songs + His Apology

With the ABC News report, it was revealed that O'Connor produced some rap songs that were recorded before he joined Parkway Drive. In the songs, the rappers made supremely critical comments about teen girls and even suggested perpetrating rape.

One of the songs even made reference to "breaking the hymen" of a 12-year-old. In that same song, as reported by ABC News, another rapper says of a peer, "He's probably tried to rape you or one of your friends."

In a statement issued to ABC News as part of the report, O'Connor claimed he was deeply ashamed of "some of the songs," which he shares were written and performed by "insecure teenagers" trying to mimic "the hateful lyrics of Eminem and NWA without realizing the consequences."

He also adds that many of the songs were never meant to be published, but "some of the worst songs leaked and ended up hurting people."

O'Connor concluded, "While it was a toxic culture for boys, it was so much worse for girls and I am deeply sorry for contributing to that."

What Parkway Drive's Winston McCall Had Previously Said

Back in March, when Parkway Drive's Winston McCall initially delivered an emotional apology after learning of Jed Gordon's guilty plea for a sexual offense against an underage girl, the singer spent a good portion of time speaking on the climate the band came up in and challenging their scene to do better.

"To the women, women deserved to be safe. Women deserve to be heard. Women deserve to be seen and women deserve to be respected," said McCall. "Every person watching this now knows a sexual assault survivor. You might not know it, but you do. Every woman in your life has been sexually harassed. It’s unacceptable. If it’s heartbreaking, it should be heartbreaking. This is a societal issue with the culture and we need to change it,

"We as men need to do better. We need to stand up and we need to be better. And I’m not trying to say all men are bad, all men are horrible. I’m not trying to tie everyone up with the same brush. I’m just trying to say this is a community and communities look inside in these moments and they take responsibility and they act and that’s how things get better. We’ve got to take account," continued McCall.

“To the women in this scene, you are so valued and so important. You’re so welcome and you are so essential. To the men in this scene, don’t stand for bullshit. I know it can be hard to speak up. I find it hard to speak up and I’ve got a microphone in front of everyone. But we’ve gotta do it. You’ve gotta look at your mates, you’ve gotta look at your friends and you’ve gotta look at your peers and you’ve gotta ask the hard question. You’ve gotta speak out and that’s how change happens," he added.

“This music has always been about more than just the sound to me. That’s the thing. It’s about the community. It’s about the community. And communities are responsible and they’re taking accountability. So this is it. This is what this band stands for. It stands for community. It always has and it always will. So that’s what we’ve gotta do,” McCall concluded.

Within the band's own statement to ABC News contributing to their report, the group referenced the Byron Bay high unemployment rate and issues with alcohol, drugs and violence that also likely contributed to the climate at the time.

"Behaviors like power imbalances, consent issues, bullying were everywhere: in homes and in the streets, and girls and women did bear the brunt of it," the band said. "It's heartbreaking and unacceptable."

What Happened in Jed Gordon's Case?

On May 28, Jed Gordon, the brother of Parkway Drive drummer Ben Gordon and the band's former merch manager, was sentenced in a Byron Bay court. His sentence included 300 hours of community service as part of a three-year community corrections order. Additionally, Gordon's name now appears on the child protection register and he received a "two-year apprehended domestic violence order."

However, he was able to avoid jail time. Gordon claimed to be a "different person now" after he "entered criminality without thinking properly" while repeatedly initiating sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old as an adult in his early 20s. He was also said to have lost two jobs as a result of this court case, per his lawyer John Waller.

In his ruling, judge Geoffrey Dunlevy made the determination that Gordon has shown "significant insight" for remorse, which was a factor in his sentencing. The judge also stated that he was looking at the case through modern community standards of child sexual abuse and harm rather than through the lens of the early 2000s.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available for help. Visit the RAINN website (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673

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